


Wrong Door - Right Key

by AvatarQuake



Series: A collection of alternate realities [13]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Daisy likes him, F/M, Tumblr Prompt, but it's ok, professor phil coulson is a bit of a mess, semi-descents towards mature near the end
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-14
Updated: 2018-05-14
Packaged: 2019-05-07 03:28:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14662371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AvatarQuake/pseuds/AvatarQuake
Summary: It was his lucky day when he opened the wrong door.





	Wrong Door - Right Key

**Author's Note:**

> Based on the prompt; ' _My apartment key apparently also works on your apartment door? (Also I accidentally let your cat out.) AU_ '

Phil Coulson had come home from a very exhausting first day as a history professor. The students were still overenergetic from their summer vacations and paid as much attention to him as Zeus to his marital vows to Hera – _if_ they were anything like the vows of today.

He just wanted to crash to the nearest soft surface and sleep for a year or something.

With half-closed eyes, he opened the door to his appartment – or so he thought – and got knocked over by an orange blur.

“What.” he mumbled starring at the hallway's ceiling. He turned his head to see a cat's tail disappear around the corner. “I don't own a cat.” he frowned. “Did it sneak inside somehow?”

Not having the energy to think anymore about cats and how to catproof his house, he got up and entered. He closed the door and took off his shoes, only to freeze upon seeing the picture on the wall and the person with the baseball bat coming right at him.

He fell on the floor and held his hands up over his head.

“Oh my gosh, I am so sorry.” he started saying quickly. “I live next door, I thought this was my appartment, oh God.”

“Professor...Coulson?” a voice asked hesitantly.

“Yes?” he looked up, to see his neighbor, a young woman who had recently moved in and he had met a few times on the elevator. “Miss...Johnson, wasn't it?”

“Daisy.” she said, dropping the bat and giving him a hand up. “By the way, have you seen Biscuit?”

“Biscuit?”

“My cat.”

“Ah.” Phil looked shiftly at the door. “I think he, ah, went down the hall?” he looked back at Daisy. “I am so sorry about this mess.” he appologised.

Daisy sighed.

“That cat always manages to sneak out and in whenever he pleases, no matter what I do.”

“I, uh, I should go. I imposed enough on you.” Phil said, picking up his shoes. “And I should change my lock. It wouldn't do if I enter your house like this again.”

“Well, do you want a coffee? You look like you could use a rest.”

“Oh, I-I couldn't...”

“I insist.”

“O-okay...”

Daisy led him to the sitting room, where Phil dropped like a sack on the couch and sighed in relief.

“Bad day?”

“No, not really. Just hard to make history interesting so soon after summer.”

“High-school, huh?”

“They just want you to listen to them, be serious when they ask your opinion, treat them like equals because they are growing into that role, to be adults. They're not kids anymore.”

“You must be their favorite teacher then.” Daisy smiled, passing him his cup, as she sat down beside him.

“I try to do the right by them.” Phil said quietly. “What about you?”

“Me? I'm a computer programmer-technician. Your laptop dies on you, I'm your girl.” she grinned.

“Good to know. I'm trying to keep up to date with technology. It's a way to make connecting to my students easier for me. See the world through their eyes. It's a whole different way of life to mine.”

“You're not that old, professor.” Daisy smirked, looking him up and down.

Phil raised an eyebrow at her, feeling his cheecks burn.

Suddenly they heard scratches at the door and Daisy went to open with a grin.

Sure enough, Biscuit came in, tail held high, and jumped on the couch and then settled on Phil's lap.

“Uh...”

“Oh, you've been chosen. You might as well catch a nap yourself. When he sleeps, he sleeps for hours.” Daisy grinned.

“Daisy...as much as an honor that is, I need to get home. You need your home. I can't just...” he raised his hand, unable to find the right words.

“You really wouldn't intrude, but if you must...”

Daisy gently picked up her cat and set him on a pillow, as Coulson put on his shoes.

“Thanks again. For the coffee. And not hitting me.”

Daisy silently snorted.

“Anytime. For coffee. I'll try to avoid trying to take your head off again. It'd be a shame, too. It's a really nice head.”

“Thanks.”

“See you around neighbor.” she smiled.

Phil smiled.

The next evening, he found an orange cat sleeping on his couch.

Phil stared for a moment.

“Biscuit?” he asked, unsure.

The cat turned its head to the sound of his voice and then returned to its previous position, not caring it was in the wrong appartment.

Phil glanced on the wall to his left – yep, those were his pictures, definitely his apartment.

“What are you doing here?” he wondered.

Just as he set his bag down a note caught his eye.

He picked it up, curious.

_'Hey, Phil. Sorry, for breaking and entering. An out of town job turned up and I couldn't leave Biscuit alone. Sorry. I should've asked before lumping the cat on you, but I didn't know your or the school's number. If you need to ask anything about Biscuit, here's my number. I did leave you with some instructions, don't worry. See ya – as soon as I'm done, Daisy.'_

Phil smiled, as he sat next to the cat, note in hand.

“We'll be fine, won't we. Biscuit?” he asked, petting the orange furrball.

Late in the evening, he heard his door open. He poked his head out from the bathroom.

“Daisy?” he called.

“Phil? You're home?”

“Yeah. Just a moment!”

He got dressed as quickly as he could and walked in the living room with a towel in his hands, and his hair still dump.

“Hey. How was the job?” he asked.

“Good. It was good. Not too hard, but the journey was long.” Daisy replied, distractedly looking at his hair.

“Hungry? I can cook you something quick, if you want.”

“Oh no, I can't ask you to...”

“I'd love to cook somwthing for you.” he smiled softly at her.

“...Okay.” Daisy nodded.

Phil pulled a chair for her at the kitchen table and then got to work. He knew she didn't want him to go through the 'trouble' so he settled for a spaghetti with 'a little Coulson secret' in it. His parents had passed on to him their families' cooking secrets and he combined them most of the time.

“Sorry about breaking and entering. Twice.” Daisy said after a moment.

“It's fine. It was you.” he smiled.

Daisy smiled back.

“Something smells good.” Daisy said, as he set the table.

“Thanks.” Phil blushed.

“Aren't you going to eat, too?”

“This is for you. I had papers to grade.” he said, as stood up.

“Grade them here? I'd like to hear about your day.”

“Of course.” Phil nodded and made quick work of getting his work to the kitchen table and siting across from Daisy.

They created a routine; Daisy would come and eat dinner at his place, while he ate lunch at hers.

It helped that their keys still fitted each other's door, since Phil never got around to changing his lock.

He'd never tell her how much he loves this routine they had, how he loved spending time with her, listening to her, telling her about his students, how sometimes he wished he could tell her how much he liked _her_.

Sometimes they slept over. Daisy walked in on him coming out of the bathroom, Phil almost walked in on her as she changed. Biscuit had a bowl and a bed in both their houses, Daisy often joking about their joint custody of her cat.

It had been almost a year since the day Phil accidentally entered Daisy's apartment, confusing it for his, when Daisy kisses him.

He didn't question it. He sighed and kissed her back immediately, wrapping his arms around her.

“I thought is was only me.” he said against her lips. “I never expected...”

“Are you crazy? You're the best thing that happened to me. I called you Biscuit's dad.” she was saying among kisses. “I love you, Phil.”

“Daisy.” he sighed. “I love you, so much.” he held her tighter. “I love you, I love you, I love you.” he kept saying pressing kisses all over her face.

A year later, Daisy moved in with Phil.

“Have I told you how much I love waking up to you?” Phil asked Daisy one morning.

“Always love hearing it from your lips.” she smiled, kissing the lips in question. “You'll be late for school, Phil.” she chuckled when he pulled her on top of him.

“I'll tell the kids I was busy with something very important. They'll forgive me.”

“You talked to your kids about us?”

“A couple of them saw us on one of our dates and told the class.” he replied, kissing her neck. “I think they want to meet you, too.”

“Hm. Maybe I'll come pick you up from school today. Give your students a chance to meet the one making your days a little brighter?”

“A lot brighter and so much more interesting.” he said, with a loving smile. “After all, you _are_ the love of my life.”

“So corny.” she smiled, kissing him passionately. “Now, get up. You need to get to school.”

“Even though I want to stay in bed with you?”

“Even though _I_ want you to stay in bed with me.”

“Okay.” Phil kissed her. “What are you going to do today?”

“I had a laptop in need of service come over last night, remember?” she followed him out of the bed, “I'm gonna work on that. Then see if anything else comes up.” she shrugged. “And then I'll pick you up and take you out for lunch.”

Phil kissed her again.

“I'll see you in a few hours then?”

“Absolutely.” she smiled.

True to her promise, at the end of his work day, Daisy was waiting for Phil outside of the high school, already surrounded by the majority of his students.

“Hey, Phil!” she greeted him, pulling him in for a quick kiss, to his students' delight.

“She's really cool, professor!” one of his students said, approvingly.

“How did you meet?”

“I accidentally entered her apartment, thinking it was mine. Our keys fit.” he said sheepishly.

“I almost beat him up, too.”

The teenagers burst out in laughter.

“Now, no making fun of my boyfriend. That's my job.” she winked. “I know you'd like to stick around longer, but your mothers are going to worry, aren't they? And I promised to take my guy out for lunch.”

“Will you visit again?”

“Sure, why not?” she shrugged a little, glancing at Phil.

“I would love it, you know that.” he said, holding her hand. “But not on the expence of your work.”

“Isn't he just the best?” Daisy asked his students.

“Daisy...”

“Okay, okay. We should be going, and so should you. There's a table waiting for us. See you all around.” she waved, as she dragged Phil away.

She had found a small restaurant, hidden away near a park.

“Knew you'd like something like this.” she smiled, pecking his cheek.

“I'd like anything you'd chose, Daisy.”

“Hey, I know, but this is about what you like.”

“I like you.” he grinned.

“My dork.”

After lunch, they went for a walk at the park before returning home. Biscuit was lazily sitting on the sofa, almost having fallen asleep.

“I shoud prepare next week's lesson.” Phil said, as he sat down on the armchair.

Daisy sat on his lap and kissed him.

“It's Friday. Take the evening off.” she said against his lips.

“Tempting. But then I'd have to do it during the weekend.” he replied. “And I'm pretty sure we could be spending our weekend doing other, enjoyable, things.” he smirked.

Daisy kissed him hard.

“That is a good plan, Phil. A _really_ good plan.” she says. “I hope you don't expect to get out of bed for anything other than food and bathroom.”

Phil smirked up at her, before leaning to kiss her.

“I wasn't.” he whispered against her lips.

“Fuck.” Daisy cursed, reluctantly getting off him. “Okay, okay. You need to finish preparing for your Monday classes, before we throw your plan out of the window and you end up going to school unprepared.”

Phil stood up, drew her close and kissed her.

“Mmhm. Okay.” he sighed. “In a moment.”

Chuckling, Daisy pulled slightly away, to look in his eyes.

“Go, you insatiable man,” she lightly shoved him, “or you'll for real go to school unprepared.”

“Yes, ma'am.” he kissed her lightly and pulled away.

This was going to be a really nice weekend.

 


End file.
